Full Circle
by ajfankeith
Summary: Aaron and Jackson split up and have moved on and found new partners, but events often bring things full circle.
1. Chapter 1

Full Circle – Chapter 1

_DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV_

-O-

Aaron could hear Marco in the shower. Marco lived in a modern bed-sit above a parade of shops in Hotten and, as it only consisted of a combined lounge and bedroom and a small kitchen and bathroom; Aaron could hear every splash as Marco performed his ablutions. Aaron had stayed the night; they had watched a recording of the previous day's TV coverage of the London Olympics and had consumed a few cans of lager, so they had decided that Marco should not drive, otherwise Aaron would have had a lift home to Emmerdale. Not that there was anything new about this arrangement; Aaron had stayed over on numerous occasions over the past couple of months since he and Marco had been going out together; and they were becoming closer.

As Marco emerged from the bathroom, dressed only in a white towel wrapped around his slim waist, Aaron enjoyed the sight before him. Marco Silvestri was half-English and half-Italian, on his father's side. He had short, dark curly hair, big brown eyes and a square jaw that, because of his Mediterranean looks, gave the impression of an all-day five o'clock shadow. He had tanned skin covering his firm, muscular frame and his well-developed chest was coated in a light dusting of hair. Aaron was pleased with himself; he had bagged a real hottie! To match his good looks, Marco also had a nice personality; kind, generous and friendly. He had a beautiful set of white teeth which were now on display as Marco was grinning at Aaron at that moment. They had met when Marco dropped by the garage one day to deliver a package: he was a van driver for a courier firm. He had asked if there was anywhere to grab a bite to eat as it was lunchtime and Aaron, who was due his own lunch break, had joined him at Bob's cafe. They got talking and soon discovered that they were both gay and a friendship had quickly developed. It did not take them long to find out that they fancied the pants off each other!

"Well, would you like to hit Bar West later?" Marco said as he whipped the towel off to rub his hair, leaving Aaron to fight the stirring in his loins at the sight of his boyfriend's naked body; the muscles on his arms bulging as he towelled his head.

"I dunno, aren't you working today?"

"It's Saturday!" replied Marco, as if by way of explanation.

"I know," Aaron said, "but you sometimes work on a Saturday."

"Not this Saturday, it's my day off on the rota; it means I've got the whole weekend free." Marco finished drying his hair and crossed the room to the bedroom area. He pulled on some clothes and then sat at the table opposite Aaron to eat breakfast.

Aaron poured some cornflakes into his own bowl and handed the box to Marco.

"Well, you haven't answered my question," Marco said.

"What question?" Aaron acted as if he did not remember Marco's invitation to the bar.

"Aaron; you're such a div sometimes!" Marco raised his eyebrows, the statement and expression reminded Aaron of someone else that he used to be close to. Marco repeated himself, "Do you want to go to Bar West?"

Aaron could see no harm in a visit to one of his old haunts, "OK!" he said with a grin.

xxxxxxxxxx

Bar West was fairly quiet when Aaron and Marco eventually arrived that evening after spending the day in town, driving around in Marco's VW Golf. The car had seen better days and Marco was pleased that Aaron was a mechanic as he could get his new boyfriend to look at it for him if he had any trouble; although it still ran well, so that had not been an issue so far.

"What can I get you?" the barman said as they walked towards him.

"Two pints please," answered Marco with a smile, holding a ten pound note in his hand.

They found an empty table and sat down. After chatting happily for a while, Aaron returned to the bar for another round. As he was waiting for his drinks, he was taken aback by the sight of his ex, Jackson, walking through the door with a young guy, who instantly reminded him of the British diving champion Tom Daley, who he had seen on the Olympics coverage, except this lad had blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He could tell that they were a couple; the body language was plain to see. They walked up to the bar and Jackson's smile disappeared when he spotted Aaron.

"Oh, hello!" Jackson looked slightly embarrassed.

"Jackson!" Aaron was pleased that he was not drinking at that moment; as he was sure he would have choked in surprise.

Jackson, not wishing to appear rude, introduced his partner, "This is Dane!"

Dane extended his hand to shake Aaron's, "Dane Milner," he said, confidently.

"This is Aaron," Jackson said, without adding details of their previous relationship.

"So, you're the famous Aaron!" Dane added with a smile.

"I didn't know I was famous!" Aaron looked a little confused.

"Jackson's mentioned you," Dane looked at his partner and smirked, "but only about three times a day!"

"Come off it!" Jackson defended himself; looking at Aaron he said, "I might have mentioned you, once or twice."

Marco, wondering what the hold-up was with the drinks, joined the group and, on spotting Jackson, smiled and extended his hand, "Jackson! Long time no see!"

"You two know each other?" Aaron looked even more confused than before.

"Yeah, we used to work together!" Marco replied, as he slipped an arm around Aaron's waist.

Aaron was not usually comfortable with public displays of affection, but his bravado got the better of him and he suddenly wanted to prove to Jackson that he had moved on; so he slung his own arm across Marco's shoulder and said, "How come? Jackson's never been a courier, well, not to my knowledge!"

"I haven't always worked for 'City-Speed', I used to be a labourer on building sites; that's where I met Jackson," Marco explained.

Once the introductions were out of the way, the four lads decided to settle down together at a table and have a chat.

"So," Aaron searched for something to say to Jackson, there was a touch of awkwardness between them and Marco and Dane soon picked up on it, "How did you two meet?"

"I met Dane on a construction job I was working on," Jackson said.

"What do you do then?" Aaron asked Dane.

"Painter and decorator," Dane replied, "If you want your place sprucing up, I'm your man!"

"Actually," Marco chipped in, "I was just saying to Aaron the other day; my kitchen walls could do with a lick of paint."

"I'll give you my number," Dane replied, "I can give you a quote if you like."

After Marco and Dane had swapped numbers on their mobile phones, Aaron suggested to Marco that it was time to leave and they decided to head back to Marco's flat. Marco had not brought his car as he wanted to be free to have a drink and, in any case, it was only a fifteen minute walk from Bar West.

After arriving back at the flat, Aaron flopped down on the sofa and stared into space. Marco could sense that something was troubling Aaron, so he sat down beside him and spoke, "Penny for 'em?"

"What?" Aaron seemed miles away.

"You're very quiet. It's not like you!"

"Oh cheers! Are you saying I'm noisy!"

"This has something to do with Jackson, doesn't it?" Marco was no fool.

"OK, if you must know, Jackson's my ex," Aaron stated, matter-of-factly.

"I see; and this is the first time you've seen him since you split up?"

"Yeah!" Aaron was being evasive; he did not really want to go into great detail about his ex-boyfriend.

"What happened? Why did you split up? Was there someone else?" Marco was not going to let it drop.

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"But it might help. Look, I don't want to stick my nose in where it's not wanted, but you've been a bit off all evening. I'm a good listener!" Marco looked directly into Aaron's eyes.

Aaron mulled it over; there was really no secret about his relationship with Jackson, so he continued without further hesitation, "Well, I messed him about. I sold a dodgy car to this bloke, Mickey, only he didn't like the fact that I wouldn't give him his money back. I used my dog Clyde to try to intimidate Mickey, but he came back later and killed Clyde! Jackson went and paid him the money behind my back and I went ballistic. Jackson hated violence and we rowed about it. I tried to apologise and swore that I'd change, but he'd had enough. I don't really blame him. The shame of it is, I've kept my nose clean ever since; so we probably could have made a go of it if he'd given me another chance."

"So, you wish you could have got back together?"

Aaron went back to being evasive, "No!" he said, "Jackson's ancient history! I'm with you now!" As if to emphasize the point, Aaron quickly planted a kiss on Marco's lips. The passion between them soon mounted and Aaron began tugging at Marco's clothes; running his hands over the rippling, washboard stomach and firm pecs under his shirt. Aaron broke the hot kiss, "It's past my bedtime!" he whispered suggestively.

xxxxxxxxxx

Aaron gazed at Marco lying next to him in the bed. He usually woke up first, while his boyfriend slumbered on blissfully; especially after a night of passion like the one that they had just shared. Aaron's mind drifted back to the previous evening's events; unexpectedly meeting Jackson at Bar West; seeing him with someone new... Dane. He tried to fight the feeling of jealousy welling up inside him. He asked himself why he should feel jealous; Jackson had moved on and so had he. He had Marco now, just like he had told his boyfriend, Jackson was just an ex; history! Yet, seeing Jackson again had unnerved him, so many buried feelings had resurfaced. He told himself that he was being ridiculous; he was over Jackson a long time ago.

Marco roused and looked at Aaron's smiling face, "Morning gorgeous!" Marco said, smiling back with his row of dazzling white teeth.

Aaron gave Marco a quick kiss and jumped out of bed to relieve himself in the bathroom. When he returned to the lounge, Marco was setting the table for breakfast.

"Do you fancy some toast this morning?" Marco enquired.

"Got any marmalade?"

"Yeah, of course; you can't have toast without marmalade!"

"Well, you can," Aaron grinned, "You can have it with chocolate spread, peanut butter or jam!"

"Smartarse!" Marco chuckled, knowing full well that his boyfriend was teasing him.

"Anyway, once we've had breakfast, I'd better head home for a change of clothes."

"OK, I'll give you a lift, then we can go out for the day," Marco said, cheerily.

xxxxxxxxxx

Dane had spent the night at Jackson's flat. He could feel that Jackson was uneasy about something and assumed that it was the meeting the previous evening with Aaron. He knew that Aaron had been a big part of his life; especially as he still mentioned him quite a lot. He had joked about it in Bar West, calling his ex "The famous Aaron," but secretly he felt that he was in competition with the young mechanic; yet he did not know why he had such feelings. Jackson was always kind, attentive and loving towards him, yet he still had this niggling doubt in the back of his mind. But, he told himself that it was stupid to feel this way; why should he be bothered about a lad from Jackson's past?


	2. Chapter 2

Full Circle – Chapter 2

_DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV_

-O-

Aaron gulped down his breakfast as quickly as he could; he knew that Cain would be in a foul mood all day if he was late for work. Chas entered the back room of the Woolpack and saw her son sitting at the table.

"Shouldn't you be at work, like, five minutes ago?" she asked sarcastically.

"Don't you start!" Aaron scowled, "It'll be bad enough having Cain on my case when I get there."

"Well, maybe you should get up a bit earlier, instead of dreaming about this Marco!"

"Don't talk daft!" Aaron rose from his chair and headed for the door, "He's just a mate!"

"Yeah, right!" Chas did not look convinced.

Aaron managed to avoid Cain for most of the day and buried his head in his work. He was hoping to get a call or a text from Marco, but his phone stayed silent all day. He was not unduly worried by this; as he knew that Marco would be driving round in his van all the time, which gave him little opportunity to make contact.

However, when he tried to ring Marco after work, his phone went to voicemail, so he decided to text instead. A short while later; his phone rang and Marco was on the other end of the line.

"Hi sexy," Marco sounded bright and cheerful, "Sorry I couldn't answer you before. I was on the phone to that Dane, you know, Jackson's fella. He's coming round to give me a quote for that painting I want done."

"Oh right," Aaron flinched slightly at the mention of Dane's name, although he did not understand why, "So you're busy tonight then?"

"Yeah, sorry! I can drive over to the village later if you like. We can have a drink in your pub for a change."

"That's cool! What time will you be here?"

"Probably about eight, if that's OK?"

Aaron looked at the clock; it was now six, which meant that he would have two hours to kill, "That's OK, I'll be here waiting; unless I get a better offer in the meantime!"

"No-one else would put up with ya!" Marco chuckled, "See ya later!"

Later, Aaron sat with Adam, sipping his beer.

"Looks like you've been stood up mate!" Adam said.

Aaron looked at the clock; sure enough, it was ten minutes past eight and still no sign of Marco.

"He'll be here," Aaron said, confidently, "He did say about eight o'clock; not to the nearest second!"

As if on cue, Marco rushed through the door, looking flushed. He said his hello's to Aaron and Adam and bought a round.

Once he had settled down with the others at the table, Aaron spoke, "So, did Dane make you an offer you couldn't refuse?"

Marco looked a little uneasy, but he answered with another question, "How do you mean?"

"You said that he was going to quote for that job. Did he give you a good deal?"

"Yes, he's going to do it next week. He said he'd need to do it in the evenings, but that's OK as I'm out working during the day anyway."

Aaron sensed that Marco was a little tense, "You OK? You seem a bit jittery!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Marco smiled, "It was just the traffic in town; I thought I was going to be late getting here."

"Well, you're here now. Fancy a game of darts?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah," Adam chipped in, "It's about time I thrashed you again!"

"In your dreams, farm boy!" Aaron replied, cheekily. Then, looking at his boyfriend, he said, "Marco?"

"You're OK," Marco nursed his drink, "I'll just chill and enjoy this, you and Adam have a game."

Aaron and Adam played darts for a while and teased each other about their skills, like best mates the world over. Marco made the occasional comment, but seemed a bit distant. Aaron was sure something was amiss, but tried to concentrate on his game.

After a couple of hours, Adam called it a night as he needed to be up early the next morning. After he left, Aaron sat with Marco and they chatted for a while, then he said, "So, do you want to stay at mine tonight? It will save you driving back to Hotten."

"It's OK," Marco replied, "I've not been drinking alcohol, so I'm alright to drive; I'd better get back."

Aaron and Marco walked to the car. "I'll call ya, yeah!" Marco said.

"OK!" Aaron replied. Marco gave him a quick kiss and climbed into his car. Aaron had the feeling that he was getting the brush off, but told himself that he was being stupid. It was not like him to come over all sensitive!

xxxxxxxxxx

A few days passed. Aaron received the occasional text from Marco and always replied immediately, but he had an uneasy feeling that Marco was ignoring him or worse: hiding something. It all came to a head the next Friday night. Aaron had decided to pay Marco a visit at his flat; unannounced. He arrived at the door and was about to knock but, on trying the door handle, he found that the door opened. He smiled to himself; he was always telling Marco to remember to lock the door! Hoping to surprise his boyfriend, he crept quietly into the flat. However, he was not prepared for the sight that greeted him in the bedroom area off the lounge. There, both stark naked in the bed, were Marco and Dane!

"What the hell is going on!" shouted Aaron in shock.

Marco and Dane both pulled the sheet over themselves, as if doing so would cover up their activities. Both of them looked at Aaron like rabbits caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

"Aaron!" Marco stuttered, "I didn't know you were coming round!"

"Obviously!" Aaron had a face like thunder, "How long has this been going on?"

"Look, Aaron, I can explain!" Marco looked crestfallen.

"Yeah, I'd like to hear this one! What, Dane offers a 'free shag' with every tin of paint does he?"

"I'd better go!" Dane stammered, jumping out of bed and retrieving his clothes from the floor.

"Yeah!" Aaron sneered, "Do one!" He clenched his fists and felt like punching Dane's lights out; but he was more upset than angry.

Dane dressed hurriedly as he bolted out of the door without saying another word.

"Well," Aaron said, crossing his arms, "I'm still waiting for this clever explanation of yours!"

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this," Marco continued to keep the sheet pulled firmly over himself; "I was going to tell you. When Dane came round to give me a quote for the job, we sort of hit it off and one thing led to another. We've been seeing each other ever since."

"How touching!" Aaron was close to tears.

"It's not just sex! What I mean is; we have feelings for each other."

"I thought you had feelings for me!"

"I do! I really like you Aaron. I'm so sorry!"

Aaron could feel the tears welling up, but he was determined not to cry in front of Marco. He did not want to give him the satisfaction of letting him know how much he was hurting. "I'm sure Jackson will be very interested to hear about your little 'arrangement'! Dane is supposed to be his boyfriend after all!"

"Are you going to tell him?" Marco looked worried.

"Well, I don't see much of him these days. But if I do see him, I don't see why I should keep my trap shut!"

"Look, let me get dressed and I'll run you home!"

"I don't want anything from you...you lyin', cheatin' SCUMBAG!" Aaron turned and ran out of the flat, his eyes stinging from the tears that he was holding back.

"Aaron, please...wait!" Marco called after him. But it was too late, Aaron was already half way down the stairs; his tears becoming a flood.

xxxxxxxxxx

Aaron stared at the ceiling in his bedroom. He had passed the crying stage and was now becoming angry. He hated Marco for betraying him but, also, he hated Dane for betraying Jackson. He finally admitted to himself that he still had feelings for his ex-boyfriend and he did not want to see him get hurt. But, he had a dilemma: should he tell Jackson that Dane was cheating on him? Part of him wanted Jackson to know the truth; but another part of him was afraid that Jackson would not believe him and think that he was trying to stir up trouble. He thought about it, long and hard and eventually decided to text Jackson and find out what reaction he would get by making contact. He knew that Jackson's number was still stored in his phone and hoped that it had not changed.

He took out his mobile phone and, fingers shaking slightly, he typed the words, "Can we meet up? I want to talk." He selected Jackson's name from his list of contacts and hit 'send'.

Sure enough, a little later, a message came back, "Hi, did not expect to hear from you. What's up?"

Aaron allowed himself a little smile; Jackson was willing to talk.

"Meet me in the Woolie tomorrow, just you and me, 7pm?" Aaron typed and sent again.

"Sounds ominous! OK!" Jackson replied.

Aaron sat waiting patiently in the Woolpack the next evening. He had a dreadful sense of foreboding; was he doing the right thing? He almost felt that all this was none of his business; but he could not let Jackson carry on thinking that his partner was being faithful to him.

Punctual as ever, Jackson arrived at the agreed time and Aaron bought them both a drink. He suggested they go through to the back room and they sat on the settee together.

"So, why all this 'cloak and dagger' stuff?" enquired Jackson, "Couldn't we have just chatted in the pub?"

"Sorry!" replied Aaron, "But I didn't want to say this with that lot out there ear-wigging!"

"Say what, exactly?" Jackson was now intrigued.

Aaron could see no point in beating about the bush, so he came straight to the point, "It's about Dane," he said, but then hesitated.

Jackson looked at Aaron with a quizzical expression on his face, "What about him?"

"I found out that Marco was cheating on me; and guess who he was cheating with?"

"Dane?" Jackson looked shocked.

"Yeah, sorry, I just thought you should know."

"Why are you telling me this? How do you know?"

"Look, I'm not trying to cause trouble. I called round Marco's flat unexpectedly and caught them at it; they were in bed together."

Jackson looked sad and on the verge of tears. Aaron wanted to hug him; but he felt that physical contact at this point would be inappropriate.

"I knew something was up!" Jackson said, "I've had the feeling for a couple of weeks now that Dane was being a bit off with me. But I never expected this..."

"I'm so sorry Jackson! Part of me was hoping that you already knew. I didn't want to be the one to break it to you."

"It's not your fault! Thanks for telling me; it must have been hard for you. I'm sorry to hear about you and Marco!"

Aaron thought how typical that was of Jackson; always thinking of other people's feelings before his own.

"So, you don't hate me for telling you all this?" Aaron looked pensive.

"Hate you? Why should I hate you? You're being a good mate. It's nice that you care enough about me to be so honest with me."

"Of course I do!" Aaron blurted out, "I'll always care about you! I know you couldn't put up with me, the way I used to mess with your head, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten what we once had!"

"Oh, Aaron, where did it all go wrong, eh? We moved on; found other people; and look where it's got us!"

Jackson stood up to leave and Aaron rose to his feet too.

"So, what are you going to do now?" asked Aaron.

"Well, naturally I'm going to have it out with Dane, the little shit!" Jackson paused and grimaced, "No, that's not fair; I don't blame him really. He was right; I did used to bang on about you a lot; it used to drive him mad! He would joke about it, but I'm not surprised he got fed up with it and went looking elsewhere."

"So, you still think about me then?"

"Look, Aaron, I've got to go," Jackson was being non-committal, "I've got a lot of thinking to do. I'll call you later, yeah?"

"Yeah, any time!" Aaron smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Full Circle – Chapter 3

_DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV_

-O-

Jackson had cried for a while; he did not want to, but breaking up was always a hard thing to do. He had confronted Dane with Aaron's accusations and Dane had admitted everything; how he did not love him and wanted to be with Marco. Jackson asked himself why he always seemed to be let down by the men he went out with. The only one who had come anywhere near his 'perfect match' was Aaron; and that had turned out badly too! Maybe he was just destined not to meet 'Mr Right'!

He awoke alone in his bed on Sunday morning. He felt a bit better for a night's sleep and things looked a little brighter than they had the previous day. After showering and eating breakfast, not that he had much of an appetite; he decided to call Aaron to thank him again for setting him straight about Dane. However, he felt a phone call would be a bit impersonal so he changed his mind and grabbed the keys to his van; he was going to take a trip to Emmerdale.

On arrival in the village, he parked his van in the street and bumped into Chas, who was just coming out of the Woolpack.

"Two days in a row!" Chas smiled, "Don't see you for yonks and then you keep popping up!"

"Yeah, I know. I was wondering if Aaron was around."

"He's in his room, licking his wounds. You know he's just split up with his boyfriend?"

"Yeah, I do actually. That's partly why I'm here; it was MY boyfriend that Marco was carrying on with. Aaron found out and told me what was going on."

"No way!" Chas looked stunned, "I didn't know any of this! Mind you, I sometimes think Aaron keeps me in the dark on purpose!"

"Don't take it personally," Jackson said, "us lads never confide in our Mums, do we?"

"Good point!" Chas replied, "If you want to come inside, I'll see if I can drag him from his pit!"

When they went inside, Chas did not need to fetch Aaron from his room as he was already in the back room having a snack.

"Visitor for you," Chas addressed Aaron as she put her head round the door, "I'm going out, but I'll be back before opening time. See you later!" She made a discreet exit to leave the boys to chat in private.

"Hi, how are you?" Aaron looked at Jackson with concern etched all over his face. Jackson saw how worried he was about him and it touched him deeply.

"I'm getting there!" Jackson forced himself to smile, "I just wanted to thank you for telling me about...you know!"

"No need!" Aaron smiled back, "I just couldn't bear to see you being stitched up; that was all!"

"Anyway, how are you? I'm not the only one to have lost a boyfriend!"

"I'm OK. To be honest, now the dust has settled a bit, I'm quite relieved really. I liked Marco a lot, but I knew that, deep down, it was mainly a physical attraction. I didn't feel the same way about him that I felt about..." Aaron stopped short, as if he had suddenly realised that he was about to give away a secret. He knew now that he had always loved Jackson; but he was scared that his feelings were not reciprocated.

Jackson knew exactly what Aaron wanted to say, but he also felt that to declare his true feelings would give the game away, so he said, "Listen Aaron, if you're not busy, how about we drive out somewhere for a pub lunch or something; my treat! I just want to thank you properly."

There was nothing that Aaron wanted more than to spend some time with Jackson, but he continued to play it cool, "You don't have to do that!"

"I know I don't have to; but I want to! What do you say?"

Aaron looked deep into Jackson's big brown eyes and said, "OK then, I'd love to!"

xxxxxxxxxx

They drove out into the country in Jackson's van and found a lovely little tavern out in the wilds of the Yorkshire countryside. As they sat eating their meal, they chatted constantly; almost as if they were making up for all the time that they had spent apart.

"Of course, you haven't seen my new place, have you?" asked Jackson.

"You know I haven't!" Aaron tutted as Jackson was stating the obvious.

"Well, how about we pick up a few tinnies later and I can show you 'Walsh Towers'. That is, unless you've got other plans."

"Well, I did promise this millionaire mate of mine that I'd spend some time on his boat this afternoon, but I told him; private yachts are SO last year!"

Jackson giggled, "You always did make me laugh!" He grinned at Aaron and a silent understanding passed between them as they looked into each other's eyes.

Later that day, they arrived at Jackson's flat and Aaron was given the grand tour of the lounge, the bedroom, the kitchen and the bathroom.

"Wow!" Aaron joked, "You must get lost in a place like this!"

"Sarcasm never was your strong point!" Jackson laughed. He couldn't remember when he last felt this relaxed and comfortable.

They settled down on the sofa with a couple of cans; a scenario that brought back so many memories for both of them.

Aaron suddenly turned serious, "Jackson, I don't want you going all weird on me, but I've got to say this; I've missed you! All the time I was with Marco, all I could think about was you; it was as if I was comparing him to you all the time. That sounds stupid, I know; and I don't deserve you after the way I messed with your head, but if there was ever a chance you'd take me back, I'd never let you down again!"

They gazed deep into each other's eyes and, before they knew what was happening, almost against all reason, they were kissing passionately; a kiss which seemed to roll away the all the time that they had spent apart.

Their lips parted and Jackson held his forehead against his partner's, "Oh Aaron," he said softly, "Why did I ever let you go? No-one makes me feel the way you do. I know you used to drive me mad with the things you did, but that was part of who you are. I've never stopped loving you; and it doesn't matter if you don't love me; I just don't want to be without you!"

"Jackson, I do love you. It took me a long time to realise it; and I was an idiot! But I know now; I love you."

"Do you really mean that?" Jackson had just heard the three little words that he had so wanted to hear from Aaron in all this time.

"Yes, Jackson, I want to be with you; if you'll still have me!"

The kiss that Jackson gave Aaron at that moment dispelled any doubts that he had. There was such a strong bond between them that it could not be broken in all the time that they had spent apart.

Jackson pulled back to look Aaron in the eyes; those beautiful blue eyes that melted his heart every time he saw them. "Are you sure this is what you want? You're not just on the rebound from Marco?"

Aaron held Jackson's gaze steadily, he knew exactly what he needed and what he felt deep inside, "I've always wanted this, ever since we split up. I've never stopped hoping that we could somehow get back together one day. I can't forget you, no matter how I try. You're there, in my mind, the moment I wake up and before I go to sleep at night. You are the one for me; and always will be."

Jackson gave Aaron a quick peck on the lips; he could not remember a time like this; when Aaron had opened up to him so completely; and he decided to be honest with his partner too, "Aaron, you are all I ever wanted. I know you can be a right royal pain in the backside, but that doesn't matter; so can I sometimes! Everything you are is everything I want! You can mess with my head all you want, I'll still keep coming back for more; because I know, in the end, I can't live without you!"

They kissed again and Aaron; moved by Jackson's heartfelt speech, replied, "I'll never mess you around ever again; you're much too important to me for that; I know that now. If you take me back, I'll spend my life proving to you that there is nothing in the world that I wouldn't do for you. Anything you want, just ask; and you've got it...you've got me!"

They were both crying now, after being so honest with each other, tears of joy and relief streamed down their faces.

"You're such a soft lad!" Aaron brushed the tears away from Jackson's face with his fingers.

Jackson mimicked Aaron's actions on his lover's face, "I know you'd never admit it, but so are you!"

"Look at the state of us!" Aaron started to laugh; and Jackson followed suit. They were both happier than they had been for a very long time.

xxxxxxxxxx

Jackson's bed was comfortable and Aaron sighed contentedly. He had just had the most amazing experience of his young life; sharing the intimate, naked passion that only two people in love can ever feel. Yes, he had slept with Jackson before, but this time was different; more special. He knew that he truly loved this man by his side and it only served to heighten his senses; making their union more intense.

Jackson stared at the ceiling, wondering what had just hit him! He had been with men before, but nothing came close to the feelings that he had just experienced; and he knew that he could never be truly happy without Aaron in his life.

Jackson looked at Aaron; the gorgeous face, the blue eyes, the perfect body. But, it was not just a physical attraction, there was something else; a deep, magnetic pull that bound them together. People often spoke of a soul-mate, well, that's exactly what Aaron was to him.

Aaron turned his head to look at his lover and he smiled, "So, you'll take me back then!" he said, cheekily.

Jackson leaned across for another kiss, "What do you think?" he replied.

"Dunno!" Aaron decided to break the spell, "I thought you'd just invited me back for a quick tumble in the sack and, once you'd had your wicked way with me, you'd throw me out onto the streets!"

Jackson loved these light-hearted moments; it was part of who they were and what made them 'fit'. He decided to play along, "But, I haven't finished with you yet; have I?" He lunged at his boyfriend and they wrestled in the sheets like a couple of kids, laughing their heads off. Jackson rolled on top of Aaron and pinned his arms back onto the mattress, crushing his lips into his lover's.

After a while, they stopped kissing and just lay cuddling each other.

"Are you hungry?" asked Jackson, "I've got two cream cakes in the fridge."

Aaron teased him, "What's brought this on?"

"I just feel a bit peckish, that's all. I bought them for today; it was...well... it is Dane's birthday. I was going to share them with him," Jackson looked a little pensive; and Aaron picked up on his discomfort.

"Are you sure you want to share them with me? If they were for Dane, I mean."

"Well, they're not birthday cakes anymore; they're celebration cakes now; for us getting back together!"

"In that case, I can't think of anything I'd like better; bring it on!" Aaron grinned and kissed Jackson.

"Stay here, I'll go and get them!" Still naked, Jackson climbed out of bed and headed for the kitchen. A minute later, he reappeared with a small, cardboard box containing two fresh cream éclairs.

"You look like one of those 'nude waiters' that you can hire!" giggled Aaron.

Jackson laughed at the joke; he could see the funny side of his appearance in the buff, carrying food. He jumped onto the bed next to his partner and took one of the éclairs from the box. Aaron was expecting him to hand it over, but instead, he pressed it to Aaron's lips and Aaron took a bite. Then, Aaron copied Jackson's actions and fed the other cake to his boyfriend. They sat on the bed, giggling and feeding each other until they had devoured most of the éclairs. There was a little bit left and they both nibbled each end of it until their lips met in the middle and they kissed; tasting the remnants of cream and chocolate on their tongues. It was a very intimate moment; a special, secret ritual.

As their lips parted, Jackson whispered, "Stay with me tonight?"

"Yeah, 'course I will!" Aaron smiled at Jackson; there could be no mistaking the love in their eyes, "If you're sure that's what you want."

"I've never been so sure of anything in my entire life," Jackson smiled back.

Aaron suddenly felt that he belonged here. He was home; he was exactly where he wanted to be, at last.

xxxxxxxxxx

Jackson roused the next morning to see Aaron slumbering next to him. He propped himself up on one elbow and gazed at the vision before him. Aaron could be so aggravating at times but, when he was quietly sleeping like this, he was just so cute! At that moment, he remembered why he was attracted to the young mechanic in the first place; this was the Aaron very few people saw...'his' Aaron. He traced his boyfriend's strong jaw line with his fingers.

Aaron stirred and opened his eyes. "Morning!" he said, giving Jackson a beautiful smile.

"Morning!" Jackson could not resist giving Aaron a quick kiss on the lips.

"What time is it?" Aaron enquired.

"Eight o'clock."

"What? Why didn't you wake me? I'll be late!" Aaron looked worried.

"Late for what? It's a bank holiday Monday, you div!"

"Oh yeah!" Aaron suddenly remembered and his smile returned, "So, what are we going to do today?"

"Well, we can do anything you want. But first, I'm going to have to go to the supermarket. When I opened the fridge last night, I realised how low I am on supplies!"

"I'll come with you; keep you company."

Jackson looked at Aaron in astonishment, "You...Aaron Livesy, shopping? Look, Mr Alien Person, please return the real Aaron to me...now!"

"Oh, very funny!" Aaron rolled his eyes, "I have been to a supermarket before; I'll have you know!"

"You never cease to amaze me!" Jackson said with a cheeky grin.

Jackson parked his van in the store car park and the couple went inside. Aaron volunteered to push the shopping trolley, which astounded Jackson even more; and they traipsed up and down the aisles like all the other shoppers. When they reached the confectionery aisle, Aaron spotted some sweets that he loved, "Oh, please buy me some sweeties Daddy, please!" he fluttered his eyelashes and Jackson looked round to see if anyone was watching.

"You're so embarrassing!" Jackson said, blushing, "If anyone asks, you're not with me!"

"You love me really!" Aaron pouted, making Jackson laugh out loud.

"Go on then; put whatever sweets you want in the trolley!" Jackson was resigned to Aaron getting his own way; as usual!

They returned home just before the heavens opened and they managed to get all the shopping bags inside just in time. Jackson busied himself putting everything away while Aaron boiled the kettle so that they could have a brew after their expedition.

"Good idea, now that we've got some milk!" Jackson held up the freshly-bought bottle to show Aaron, "Thanks for your help today; I don't think I've ever enjoyed a shopping trip so much!"

"What?" Aaron seemed surprised, "Even when I tried to wind you up in the middle of 'Supersavers'?"

"Yeah, even then!"

"I enjoyed it too. I like it when we're together; whatever we're doing!" Aaron had a look of contentment on his face.

As they sat on the settee with their drinks, Jackson looked out of the window, "Typical bank holiday weather," he said with a frown, "What are we going to do now?"

"Well, there's not much point in going out again, is there?" Aaron replied.

"Not really. Perhaps we can find something to amuse ourselves indoors!" Jackson licked his lips suggestively.

Aaron wasted no time in grabbing his boyfriend and planting a hot kiss on his lips.

They broke the kiss and looked at each other longingly, "I do love you, you know!" Aaron whispered.

"I've always loved you; and I always will!" Jackson kissed his lover again as he melted into the moment.

After everything that had happened in the past, they had finally found their way back to each other; they had come full circle.


End file.
